Process and apparatus for making flanged crossbars for automobile frames



Dec. 18,1923.

R. 5. SMITH PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLANGED CROSSBARS FOR AUTOMOBILE FRAMES Filed Oct. 50. 1920 JNVENTOR E. Jinn/q; jifiiifz.

Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

entrain stares REUBEN STANLEY SIiEITH, 0F MILWAUK lh lllfila PATENT EE, VIISCGNSEI N, ASSIGNUB, BY MESNE AS- SIGNhIENTS,' 'IO FIRST WISCONSIN TRUST GQMPANY, A CORPORATION "OF KEV] 1 YORK.

PRGCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLANGED CROSSBARS FOR AUTOMOBILE FRAMES.

Application filed October 30, 1920.

I 0 all whomit may concern:

Be, it known that I, RE BEN STANLEY Snrrn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and u eful Improve-- ment in Processes and Apparatus for Male ing Flanged Crossbars for Automobile Frames; and I do declare the following to be clear, exact, and complete description thereof, such as will enable persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drznving for disclosure as to one form in which the invention has been embodied and by means of which the process may be carried out.

My invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for making curved flanged bars, such, for example, as constitute the cross bars of an automobile or other vehicle frame.

Heretofore, and prior to the development of certain inventions by me, such cross bars have been produced by a'series of independent and disconnected operations performed in varying and irregular time and without sequence upon sheet metal blanks, whereby the latter are transformed from their blank state into completed bars, to be assembled later with other elements as a part of the unitary frame structure.

In an application filed by me on Jan. 21, l918,Serial #212,934, on which Patent No. 1 397,020, was granted November 15, 1921, l have disclosed an assemblage of machines, which by their connected and dependent automatic and simultaneous operatiornact to convert sheet metal blanks into frame eleineits, assemble the elements in their respective positions, and permanently unite the assembled elements into an automobile frame of unitary and rigid' tructure. In the said assemblage, the various mechanisms operate in synchronism, orin substantial synchronlsr in. the perfor: 181166 of the functions which they are designed to accomplish, the several subdivided operations of the preparatory and fabricating operation being simultaneously perfori ed in a single brief period upon the materials in the different stages of their progressive advance- Serial No. 420,692.

ment toward completiomthe said operating periods alternating with other like periods of brief duration, in which latter the con veying movements of the materials for the progressive treatment described take place, both such preparing and fabricating opera tion and conveying movement occurring within a brief cyclic period, which is recurrent so long as the assemblage may be in operation.

My present invention resides in a process and apparatus whereby the several operations of punching a curved cross bar blank from a rectangular metal plate or strip, piercing the necessary holes in such blank, turning the side margins of the blank so as to form flanges to reinforce the cross bar, and bending or lapping the projecting ends of the cross bar so as to constitute ears: by means of which the cross bars may be united to the side bars of the frame, may be carried on in a succession of operations, all of which are performed in a sub'divided time cycle, as in my said patent. However, in the present case, the operating time cycle is sub-divided by the number of operations performed, and such operations are apportioned so as to take place in succeeding fractional periods of the sub-divided time cycle.

By thus sub-dividing the time cycle, and apportioning the several operations performed in producing a completed flanged cross bar, I am enabled to distribute the load carried by the present apparatus through the whole of the time cycle of peration. By reason of the distribution of the load in the manner described, the usual EXCQS- sive peak load incident to the synchronous operation of an assemblage like that dicclosed in my said patent is avoided, and the apparatus constituting my present invention will operate much more smoothly than will the synchronously operating mechanism of the assemblage referred to. This method of operation also produces a great economy, in that the necessity for the employment of a large motor to carry the excessive peak load is eliminated.

My present invention consists in an semblage comprising a blanking press for punching out properly contoured cross bar blanks, a piercing press for perforating the Cal said blanks with the necessary number and arrangement of holes, a forming press for turning the side margins of the'blanks into planes which stand at an angle to the body of the blank to provide a desirable and necessary reinforcement for the latter, and a lapping pressby means of which the projecting ends of the flanged cross bar are turned so as to traverse the plane of the bar and form earsby means of which the said cross bar may be united to the side bars,

by rivets or otherwise, toform a rigid and unitary automobile frame.

I propose to actuate the several presses of the presentassemblage by means of a main or lines'l aft driven by a suitable motor, or other means of power. The cycle-of operation of the assemblage is sub-divided, and

a fractional period of such cycle is allotted to each press for the performance of its particular functions. The driving connec tions from the main shaft are so adjusted that the presses will operate in a progressive succession upon the cross bar forming.

materials, each operation occurring within its allotted time, and all of them within the time cycle of the whole operation.

The feeding of the cross bar forming materials into and through the several presses may occur at the conclusion of each cycle of movement. This manner of feeding serves to position asuccession of blanks for the presses may be independently operated for testing purposes, and for securingv their proper EtClJllStlIlGIlt with relation to" each other, so that the operating movements of the presses, when the latter are to be driven as a unit, maybe accurately apportioned in the time cycle. The several motors for driving the presses independently, when thelatter are disconnected from the main driving shaft. may be coupled through suitable de- Vli es, to their respective presses during the time of such disconnection, and by means of the same devices may be unclutched when it is desired to couple allofthe presses to the line shaft so as to operate them as a unit.

In a companion application filed'by me concurrently, Serial #420,691, I have disclosed an apparatus somewhat similar to I have provided means whereby the present invention but designed for automatically producing pairs of curved flanged side bars for an. automobile frame, which apparatus, although differing in features of construction, has a mode of operation, some. of the steps of whicharefollowed in the present apparatus. V

Moreover, I have constituted the present assemblage of a series of presses, each of which is provided with a unitary actuating mechanism, such actuating mechanism comprising, among other things, a section of the main or line driving shaft. In setting the several presses in position for operation, the sections of the main driving shaft car-- ried by the press structure will be aligned, and may becoupled as one by means of detachable shaft sections interposed between and coupled to the opposite ends of the already aligned sections of the composite main shaft, to complete the latter. By constructing the presses and portions of their actuating mechanisms as units, I am enabled to quickly effect any necessary adjustment of the relative positions of the presses along the driving line, by use of the portable shaft connecting sections described. In connecting the several sections of the main or line shaft, I find it desirable to use a flexible coupling, by means of which compensation for any slight irregu larities of movement will be provided.

The novel features of the invention will I be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing which forms a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing diagrammatically the arrangement of the presses forming my improved assemblage, together with'the mechanism for driving the presses as a unit, and she-wing also the means for driving the presses independently of each other. v V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation on the line 52-42, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow, showing the connections "for driving the presses, some of the parts being shown in section for the purpose of making clear the construction of other parts.

letter B; the formingpress for'turnin g or drawing the side margins of the blank, so as to form flanges, by the letter C; and the lapping press for turning the projecting ends of the blank, so as to. form ears by means of which the cross bars may be attached to the side bars of the frame, by the letter D.

In the said Fig. 1, the numeral 10 inclicatesa carrier or conveyor of common construction, which may be actuated with a step-by-step movement so as to feed into and through the presses the cross bar forming elements in spaced relation, such feedingmovement taking place at the conclusion of each cycle of progressive operations of the several presses of the group. The extent of the intermitting movement of the carrier or conveyor may be from center to center of tie presses, so that with each movement of the said carrier or conveyor a set of cross bar forming elements will be accurately positioned with respect to the dies with which the said presses are equipped.

Referring again to Fig. l, the numeral 1 indicates one of a series of rectangular metal plates or strips, which are fed into the blanking press A, in the manner de scribed. The dies of this press cut away the marginal portions of the strip, so as to produce the contoured cross bar blank 2, provided with projecting ends 3. The conveyor 10 will carry the blank 2 into the piercing press B, the dies of which Will form in the said blank the perforations 4. In the next succeeding movement of the conveyor 10, the now perforated blank 2 is carried into the forming press C, the dies of which will turn or draw the side margins of the blank so as to form the channel bar 5, provided with upstanding flanges 6. With the further movement of the conveyor 10, the channeled bar 5 is carried into the lapping press D, by means of which the proetting ends 3 are bent or turned from the plane of the flanges, so as to form the completed cross bar 7, provided with ears 8, standing at an angle to the longitudinal plane of the cross bar, such ears constituting the means through which the cross bars and side bars may be riveted Or otherwise connected together so as to form the frame. After their emergence from the lapping press l), the cross bars may be moved, after inspection, to a point of assembly with the sidebars to be fabricated into a completed and rigid structural unit.

A. motor 20, of sufficient power to carry the highest peak load which may occur in the cycle of operation of the presses, drives a main or line shaft 21, which latter is couled to and drives the several presses of the assemblage, when such presses are coupled so as to operate as a group or unit.

The said main shaft is a composite shaft, constructed as hereinafter described. The said shaft is provided with bevel pinions 22 corresponding in number with tl e presses in the assemblage, each pinion being in and provided with mesh with a bevel gear 23, fixed to the shaft 24- of the press, and by means of which the presses may he operated as a group or unit. The bevel pinions 2 are free to rotate upon the shaft 21, and are provided upon one face of their hubs with clutching means adapted to be engaged b ro-acting means formed upon the end of z. sleeve 25, silined upon the shafi Zi lion the clutch faces of the pinion 22 and sleeve 25 are engaged, the motion of the driving shaft 21 is transmitted to the press. The sleeves 25 may be thrown into and out of clutching engagement by devices new commonly employed in effectng similar movements. The presses may be clutched and unclutched separately, or the clutch actuating means may be coupled so that all of them will be operated at the same time.

A gear 26, upon the back of the bevel. gear 23, and also fixed upon the shaft 2-1, is enclosed by the easing 2?, in which the said shaft 2 is journale d.

A motor 30, positioned adjacent each press, has a pinion 31 fixed upon the shaft thereof, such pinion engaging a. reducing gear 32, along side of which is a pinion 33, and both mounted upon a short shaft 3-, journaled in the casing 27. The pinion 33 is in engagement with a gear fixed upon the shaft 36, also journaled in the casing 27. ll. pinion 3S, rotat ng; loosely upon the shaft is in engagement with the gear 23, and is adapted to be coupled with the shaft, to transmit the motion of the motor 30 to the shaft 24, by means of sliding clutch member 39, splined upon the said shaft clutch face which engages a corresponding face upon the hub of the pinion 38. As in the construction previously described, referring to the clutch sleeve 25, the clutch members 39 may be separately or collectively moved to effect their functions of connecting the presses with the separate motors for independent operation, or for disconnecting the presses are to be operated as a when the latter group or unit.

The provisions described, whereb the presses may be s paratcly and independently operated, will permit them to be moi-ed for the purpose of testing their operation making any necessary adjustments. which the several presses may be relation to each other that they .l o in the order and in the timing dos. distribute the load through the operuth 1; cycle of the assemblage. A. com r h) may be used as a guard for the train of redut' gears connecting independent motor 1 with the shaft of. the press.

The main or line shaft 21, is A shaft, composed of relatively firs placeable or portable sections, arrai alternation. The fixed sections 210 are 1 0 journaled in the housings 27, and form a permanent part of the operative connections for driving each of the presses. Intervening section-s 5211 are used to unite the fixed shaft sections 210, the several alternating sections, when united, forming a continuous shaft. It will be desirable to effect an ad justment of the linear positions of the presses with relation to each other, to meet the requirements of different classes of work. In making such adjustments the presses will be properly spaced and the shaft sections 210 brought into alignment. The distance between the opposing ends of the shaft sections 210, will be filled by the insertion of shaft sections 211 of appropriate ength. The alternating shaft sections may be connected by means of a flexible coupling 50, so as to provide a compensation for any slight inequalities of movement which may occur in the operation of the group of presses. I have illustrated such flexib e coupling 50 as .being composed of flanged discs 51, fixed upon the opposite ends of the shaft sections so as to be in proximity when the shaft sections are assembled. To each flanged disc 51 a circular disc 52 is connected, such circular discs receiving and supporting between them at their outer edges :1 com'iecting ring 53, the said discs 52 and ring being bolted or otherwise secured together, so that the motion of one shaft section is transmitted through the flexible coupling to the next shaft section, and so on throughout. the length of the main or line shaft.

A fly-wheel is indicated at 60, and a clutch, by means of which the motor 20 may be coupled to drive the line shaft 2i, is,

indicated at 61.

In the operation of my improved cross bar assembly, the several presses, after inde pendent trial and adjustment, will be so set with relation to each other that they will operate in the respectively apportioned fractions of the time cycle alloted for the opera tion of the whole. By this means of operating the line or group of presses, the custo mary excessive peak load usually attendant upon the simultaneous operations of the presses of the group is avoided, and the use of amuch smaller driving motor is permissible in achieving the same results. The carrier or conveyor 10. is actuated with a step-by-step feeding movement, so that in each such movement a set of cross bar forming elements in theirseveralstages of com pletion is advanced and positioned between the dies of the respective presses for the performance of the series or succession of operations upon each set of blanks. The operations of such series or succession areperformed in the allotted time cycle, each press performing its function within the fraction of the time cycle of operation pportioned to it, and repeating its operation upon the stream of the cross bar forming materialas their functions, the who e series of cross bar forming elements is advanced for another cyclic operation of the presses of the as semblage. a

I have found it expedient to pierce the blanks while in flat condition, and I prefer to do this in all cases where the location of the perforations with respect to lines upon which the flanges and fastening, ears are bent or turned, will permit such piercing without resulting in a distortion of the perforations from the planes in which they should lie in the completed cross bar. But in the case of certain types of cross bars, it is difficult to produce the desired perfora tions without some of them, at least, being subject to the distortion mentioned; If such distortion takes place in any instance, it becomes necessary to subject the cross bar to further treatment in order to remedy the defect, such remedy usua ly involving manual treatment, with its resuitant expense and the delay usually incident to operations not performed by purely mechanical devices. V In the case of cross bars: of the type last described, inwhich the piercing operation may not be satisfactorily effected while the blank is in its flat state, I have found it. desirab '.e to include as a part of the installation, specially adapted piercing presses which are so arranged in the assemblage as; to folow the operation of the lapping press, and pierce the necessary holes inthe cross bar after the latter has been drawn into its final shape, and with its ears standing in correct angular position, so that any subsequent manual treatment of the cross bar for the purpose of remedying the distortion of the perforations therein will be avoided.

Having thus described by invention, what .1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: r

1. An apparatus for producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames from sheet metal, comprising means for cutting a contoured blank from the said sheet, means for piercing the saidblanlr, means for turning the side margins of the blank to form reinforcing flanges upon the side bar, meansfor bending the projecting ends of the flanged barto form fastening ears, and devices for conveying the cross bar forming elements through the apparatus, in combination with driving mechanism actuating all of. said meansthrough a succession operations distributed through. the time cycle of operation of the apparatus, whereby an excessive peak loadjupon the driving mechanism is avoided.

thereform, means for 2. An apparatus for producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames from sheet metal, such apparatus comprlslng separate means for blanking the contoured cross bar elements, piercing the blanks while in flat condition, drawing the longitudinal flanges upon the bars, and lapping the projecting ends thereof to form fast-err ing ears, said means acting in succession upon a plurality of cross bar forming elements to convert each element from a blank into a complete cross bar, and driving mechanism for said means, vhereby the latter are actuated in sequence through an operatcycle in which the operations of the so *al said means are apportioned so as to avoid an excessive peak load upon the drivin conveying mechanism, and devices for tne cross bar forming elements through the apparatus.

apparatus for producing like cross bars for automobile frames rom spaced set of sheet metal elements,

apparatus comprising means for producing asuccession of contoured blanks converting the blanks into flanged bars, and means for bending the projecting ends of the bars to form fastening ears thereon, in combination with driving mechanism for said means, whereby the latter are actuated in sequence through an operating cycle in which the operations of the several said means in the performance of their functions are distributed so as to avoid an excessive peak load upon the driving mechanism, and devices for conveying the cross bar forming elements through the apparatus.

4. An apparatus for producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames from sheet metal, such apparatus comprising means acting separately and by successive operations upon a set of sheet metal elements to progressively convert the latter into completed bars, and driving mechanism for actuating the said conversion means through a time cycle in which the opera-- tion of the said means is sub-divided and apportioned so as to avoid an excessive peak load upon the driving mechanism, and devices for conveying the cross bar forming elements through the apparatus.

An apparatus for producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames from sheet metal, such apparatus comprising means for acting upon blank forming material to produce a succession of blanks, and other means acting progressively upon said succession of blanks by a series of operations whereby the blanks are converted into completed bars, in combination with driving mechanism for actuating all of said means through a time cycle in which the operation of said means is apportioned so that an excessive peak load upon the driving mechanand devi es for conveying ism is avoided, a

elements through the .71 J1 inc ross bar doing iiang cu acapted by suc i formed upon the cross bar u 1. crce (la; oi tl flhplil J :zzeclnnsms ror connected to a 11 W ti la'"-' orman' -e of the H .9 divided time cy" l the prop o ions are vl so that the apportion c mechanism 15 distribload upon tne uted and can ingcycle, an

conveying the through the 4. An apparatus for producing flanged bars for automobile frames from sheet metal, such apparatus comprising a series of consecutively opcratin presses provided with dies adapted to perform 1n succession the progressive operations in converting the metal blank into a completed bar, a shaft section embraced within the driving mecha nism for each press, means for connecting the said shaft sections so as to constitute a line shaft, and means for actuating the said line shaft to operate the presses in succeeding port-ions of a time cycle, whereby an excessive peak load upon the actuating means is avoided, and devices for conveying the cross bar forming elements through the apparatus.

8. An apparatus for producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames from sheet i'net-al, comprising a series of presses adjustable with relation to each other and provided with dies adapted to perform a succession of operations upon the cross bar forming elements to convert the latter into completed bars, a sectional line shaft and means for driving the same for actuating flanges thereon and bending the projecting ends thereof to form fastenlng cars, all 1n a series of operations performed progressively upon the advancing elements, in a subdivided time cycle in which the progressive operations are apportioned and an excessive peak load upon the driving means is avoided.

lOpThe method for producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames which consists in cutting contoured blanks from metal plates or strips, piercing such blanks, turning the side margins thereof to form flanges, and bending the projecting ends of the blanks to form fastening ears, advancing the said blanks for the progressive performance of the said operations, all in a brief cyclic period in which the operations are appor ioned so as to avoid a peak load upon the driving means.

11. The method of producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames, which consists in feeding succession of bar formas to avoid an excessive peak load upon the driving means. 7 7

12. The method of producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames, which consists in feeding a succession of sheet metal elements and subjecting them to a series of progressive converting operations whereby such elements are formed into finished cross bars, such progressive converting operations being performed in succeeding fractions of a time cycle through which the said operations are apportioned so as to avoid an excessive load upon the driving means.

13. The process of progressively producing flanged cross bars for automobile frames, which consists in conveying sheet metal material along a single line of travel, subjecting such material to treatment, including automatic piercing and shaping, to form completed cross bars in a series of subdivided operations performed at successive stages of its advancing movement, and distributed through a time cycle in which such operations are apportioned so as to avoid an excessive peak load upon the driving means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 27th day of October, 1920. V

R. STANLEY SMITH. Witnesses:

W. F. WOOLARD, VMARIE SoHMrr. 

